Following Senate Confirmation, ADL Wishes Secretary of State Pompeo Success; Urges Him to Fulfill Promises

New York, NY, April 26, 2018 … Following the Senate vote confirming Mike Pompeo as Secretary of State, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) wished Secretary Pompeo success in his crucial work.

“Now that he is Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo will have an opportunity to play a leading role in shaping American foreign policy – to help build respect for the United States around the world and help to ensure its security, said Jonathan A. Greenblatt, ADL CEO. “We wish him every success in that essential work and hope he will endeavor to represent the interests of every American.”

ADL called on Mr. Pompeo to stay true to his commitments during his confirmation hearings, including his pledge to manage affairs of state fairly and equally, defending the human rights and dignity of every US citizen and State Department employee, and his assurances about the importance of U.S.-Israel relations, denying nuclear weapons to Iran, and promoting Middle East Peace.

ADL urged Mr. Pompeo to appoint a Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism as quickly as possible, giving rising anti-Semitism around the world. The League had urged members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to closely question Pompeo on a wide variety of foreign policy priorities, as well as his past anti-LGBT and anti-Muslim statements and his close associations with organizations that have frequently expressed hostility to Muslims.

“Given rising anti-Semitism globally, we urge Secretary Pompeo to appoint a qualified person to serve as the congressionally-mandated position of anti-Semitism envoy as one of his first orders of business,” said Greenblatt. “We call on Secretary Pompeo to keep the commitments he made during confirmation hearings, such as appointing a Special Envoy for the Human Rights of LGBTI persons as soon as possible.”

ADL is the world’s leading anti-hate organization. Founded in 1913 in response to an escalating climate of anti-Semitism and bigotry, its timeless mission is to protect the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment for all. Today, ADL continues to fight all forms of hate with the same vigor and passion. A global leader in exposing extremism, delivering anti-bias education, and fighting hate online, ADL is the first call when acts of anti-Semitism occur. ADL’s ultimate goal is a world in which no group or individual suffers from bias, discrimination or hate.